


Motherlove

by FreeSneezes4Every1



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Friendship, Male Sneezing, Mother-Son Relationship, Sick Keith (Voltron), Sickfic, Sneezing, Tumblr request, kink related, kitten sneeze, snezfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-10-25 16:47:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17729048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreeSneezes4Every1/pseuds/FreeSneezes4Every1
Summary: Request by anonymous: Can I request Keith getting sick with this type of galra illness that's similar to a bad cold/sinus infection but worse and makes him sneeze a lot while on and of times his eyes turn into his galra eyes. He feels terrible but Krolia is there to take care of him. This happens post s7 when they make it back to earth. Kosmo is also there to give Keith emotional support and cuddles. Both Kosmo and Krolia makes sure he doesn't try to run off to settle his duties on the garrison (stern mom Krolia).





	Motherlove

**Author's Note:**

> This was an anonymous Tumblr request. If you have a request you can write it in a comment or go on my Tumblr blog https://freesneezes4every1.tumblr.com/

Everything began with a sneeze.

Keith had felt off all morning. At first, he blamed it on all the stress he’d had recently and not having slept well the night before, but soon enough his throat started to scratch and he felt a headache coming on.

Nothing of this, however, could stop him from doing his work. There was so much to do; all the meetings and briefings he had to attend, the training of the new pilots, spending bonding time with his lion, practising hand-to-hand combat with Shiro who was still getting used to his new prothesis… by the afternoon, he was pretty sure he was running a temperature and it was showing.

“Are you good? You don’t look too hot.”, Shiro asked worriedly. Keith looked a little more sweaty and out of breath than he usually would after training and he hadn’t even been going hard on him.

“Sure. I’m fine.” He was the black Paladin for heaven’s sake! He was _needed_ and couldn’t throw a sickie, right now.

“Maybe you should take it a little easier.” The older boy sighed at the look Keith gave him. “Well, thanks for training with me. When I come back from the recon flight in a few days, I’ll make sure you get a few hours off and we can go on a hoverbike race like in the old days.”

“Sounds great! When do you have to go, anyway?”

“In about half an hour. I should better be going now before Iverson throws a fit. Don’t overdo it!”

They hugged each other goodbye and if Shiro felt him shiver against his chest, he was generous enough not to comment on it.

Keith was sweaty and achy and a shower wouldn’t be the worst thing, right now, but he didn’t have the time for it. He had promised Krolia to meet up with her and Kolivan. Tiredly, he run his hands over his face brushing his nose which set off a tickle. Had his sinuses been prickling like this the whole time?

He quickly made his way to the changing rooms but didn’t get far. He stopped dead in his tracks as he felt a sneeze overcome him. “ _Hgtshh_!”, he stifled. Unfortunately it didn’t stay by just one. It never did. “ _Hih yishh! Ish! Igshiii! Hihhh ihh itshhh_!” He moaned in the aftermath. The itch still hadn’t vanished completely and- what was wrong with his eyes? Had the room been this bright the whole time?

He squeezed his eyes shut, but it was too late. The light caused the prickling sensation in his sinuses to return and before he could get a tissue from his bag, he was overwhelmed again by a sneeze forcing its way out of his nose. “ _Hrshiii! Hishh! Hih Ishh!_ ” Before he could brace himself, he was set off once again by a soft tissue brushing against his nose. “Itshhh! Hih ih ihhh Tshii! Tshhh!”, he sneezed into it.

When he was done, he opened his eyes again. This time the room seemed significantly darker and the light didn’t set him off again. He looked up to see Krolia pressing the tissue against his nose and looking down worriedly at him. He blushed becoming aware of the fact he’d basically sneezed into his mother’s hand. He opened his mouth to apologize but the tissue that was still pressed firmly against his nose prevented him from talking. He briefly wondered what his mother was doing here. Had he lost track on time once again?

“Blow!”, Krolia ordered making no move to pull back.

Keith tried to take the tissue from her but she didn’t seem to get the hint, so he had no other choice but to actually do as he’d been told. His flush deepened when he buried his nose into the Kleenex and emptied it with a gurgling sound. The blowing affected his throat and he went into a forceful coughing fit soon after.

Krolia pulled back her hand disposing the soaked tissue with a worried expression on her face, before she went back to her son. “You should’ve said you’re sick!”, she scolded.

“I’m fine. Sorry if I kept you- _huhh_! and Kolivan wa _hhh_ \- waiting.”, Keith was barely able to answer already fighting off another annoying tickle. This cold sucked! “I’ll be right _hih_! there. _Ihhh hih igtsh!_ _Itshh_!”

She sighed. “Keith, do you think I’m a good mother?”

This question put Keith off. He looked at her with a puzzled expression not understanding how they’d gotten there. “Of course, you’re a good mother! Why-“

“Would a good mother allow their kid to work while sick?”

He should’ve known that would backfire. “It’s important! I have too much to do to be sick right now! Besides, it’s only a cold, so I’ll be fine.”

“It’s not a cold, Keith. I’m not sure if you’re aware of it, but when you sneezed your eyes turned purple which means the virus is interacting with your alien gens, so you ought to have a galran sickness. I think, it’s probably a sinus paranasalis which is equivalent to the human cold but will be worse for you because your human form is weaker.”

Well, that explained why the room had appeared to be so much brighter suddenly. Keith knew he should probably be more worried about the whole sickness and his eyes turning purple thingy, but every thought that wasn’t drowned out by the deep tiredness settling upon him, was dedicated to all the things he still had to get done today.

Just when he was about to tell her that he couldn’t possibly afford to take the day off, Kosmo appeared out of nowhere (like usually). He looked back and forth between mother and son like he was trying to figure out into which situation he’d beamed himself (Keith’s fever had to be very high) and barked at them. Suddenly, Keith found himself in his bedroom with Krolia grinning triumphantly at him.

“Good boy!”, she praised Kosmo who wagged his tail, then she turned back to Keith who was still staring puzzled at his new surroundings. She stepped closer slipping her hand under his bangs in order to measure his temperature. “You’re burning up, Keith! Off to bed with you! I’ll send a message to Lance to ask him to cover you. The world is not going to stop turning just because you take a day off.”

_But what if it did?_

“Besides, you really need the rest. Selfcare is important!"

_Well, that was interesting_! “Interesting statement from somebody who never took a day off in their whole life! Kolivan has told me everything about that one time you were stabbed 16 times and still volunteered for the next mission two days later.”

Krolia pursed her lips obviously not happy about Kolivan betraying her like this. “Get into bed! Do as I say, not as I do!”

Keith realized that there was no point in keeping up his protest. Besides, he really didn’t feel too hot and if he was honest, the idea of having his Mum to take care of him while he was sick was an experience he was kinda excited for. When he was sick as a child, he had always wondered what it would feel like having somebody stroking back his soaked bangs from his fever hot forehead and tucking a blanket around his shivering frame gently. (Not that he’d ever admit this!) Later, when he’d found Shiro who would’ve been more than willing to take care of him like this, he had gotten hurt and abandoned so often, he simply couldn’t accept this kind of platonic intimacy anymore.

But during the last few months, a lot had changed.

While Krolia rummaged around in his room for a paper and a pen to write the message to Lance, he quickly changed into his Pyjamas. After she’d sent Kosmo with the short letter to the blue Paladin, she helped Keith under the covers and tucked him in.

Even if Keith didn’t like to admit it, he actually felt better. The covers were warm and cozy and for the first time in weeks, he was able to actually lay back and relax. Even if not for long. A tell tale tickle in his nose told him, he was about to- “ _Hgtshhh! Hih yishh! Ishhh_!”

Once again, Krolia grabbed a tissue to press it against her son’s twitching nostrils. “Bless you!”

“ _Hih Ishhii! Ihhh Hishiii! Hishhh! Hgthshh!”_ , Keith managed to stifle the last sneeze. He didn’t want to embarrass himself even further and the Kleenex was already soaked enough. Apparently, Galrans were not as private about these kind of things but that didn’t mean _Keith_ wasn’t highly aware of soaking his mother’s hand with his snot.

“I heard stifling is not healthy.”, she scolded. “Do you need to blow your nose?”

Keith wanted to answer, but his breath was caught by another quickly approaching sneeze. He felt the weird thing with his eyes happen again as he launched into another messy fit. “I- _hih ihh tshiii_! _Ishii_!”

“I take that as a yes.”, she held a fresh tissue under his nose waiting for Keith to blow.

“I can hold the tissue on my own.”, he reassured her.

“But I want to take care of you!”, she stated like it was the most obvious thing on earth.

“I know but _hih_! but it’s not com- _hih itshieww! Ishiew! Hih Ishhh_! God, this is torture!”

“I’m afraid the sneezing will keep on for the next few days but I’ll ask one of the Blades to get you something that will reduce it. The other Paladins were right, by the way. You do sound like one of these small kittens Pidge showed me so many videos of!”

Keith groaned again. “I don’t have a kitten sneeze!”, he protested.

“The facts say otherwise.”

Keith closed his eyes. The lights were too bright and he wondered if they were still galran or if it was only his headache that had increased. Whatever, he was tired and cosy and if he managed to stop sneezing for a while ready to go to sleep. He snuggled back into the covers willing himself to relax and not think about all the important stuff he was missing. But his nose wouldn’t let him rest for long.  Soon enough, he pinched forward with another sneeze the tickle in his nose never fully abating.

 Krolia was ready to catch the oncoming fit once again much to her son’s dismay and humiliation. “ _Hih hihhh ihh Tshiewww! Hishieww! Hishiiii! Hih Hitshhh_!”, she rubbed the Kleenex against his reddening nostril setting his sensitive sinuses off once again. He barely managed to catch his breath when he- “ _Ashieww! Ashiii! Ashhh! Ishh! Hih hih ihhh Yishhh! Yishh-Ishhh_!”

“Oh my!”, Krolia sighed. Impromptu, she stood up from the edge of the bed where she had been sitting and instead climbed onto the bed crawling beneath the covers.

“What-“

“You know, I’m not good with these… things. I could never be there for you when you were little which I am incredible sorry for, especially thinking about what happened with your Dad, but I want to make up for this now. I don’t know how to do this, but I’m your mother and I will figure something out!”, she stated just as determinedly as if it was about taking out a galra base or defeating Zarkon, almost making Keith laugh. They were definitely related.

She slung her arms around his slightly shivering form, a fresh tissue ready at hand. Keith turned onto his side burying his head into her chest enjoying the warmth of his mother’s embrace. He couldn’t remember when he had been that close to someone for the last time.

“I don’t know how human illnesses work, but without direct blood contact it’s very unlikely I’ll catch this form you, so don’t hesitate to cough and sneeze on me if you have to. I don’t mind.”, she reassured him.

Keith nodded but turned away for the next sneeze anyway. “ _Yishiii! Hih Ishiii_!”

Sighing, Krolia pressed him back against her chest. She opened her mouth to say something when Kosmo reappeared and jumped on top of the bed. Apparently, he sensed Keith’s weakened state because he carefully snuggled up against him resting his head upon the boy’s hip.

“Good boy.”, Keith muttered tiredly patting the space dog’s head.

Krolia smiled at the scene in front of her. She had waited for this so long. Gently, she carded her fingers through the black longish strands enjoying the softness of Keith’s hair against her fingertips. “When you wake up again, we will get a grip on your temperature and I’ll get you some medicine and call Shiro to ask what usually helps you when you’re sick, okay? Until then, you should try to get some rest.”, she ordered gently.

Keith was almost asleep already which explained why he didn’t manage to cover his nose in time when he felt another sneeze approach. “ _Hitshhh_! Hih _Ishhh_!”, he sneezed tiredly onto his mother’s chest. He sniffled. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”

After he let her help him to blow his nose, he snuggled into her once again. For the moment, his nose had stopped tickling and he was determined to use that possibility to do as his mother had said and actually get some rest.

“Sleep well!”, she whispered.

“I love you, Mum.”

Her eyes filled with tears at that and she squeezed him tighter. This was the first time he’d called her that! “I love you too.”

Kosmo barked in agreement, but Keith had already fallen asleep in her arms.


End file.
